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La Samanna to Reopen on St. Martin December 10

Great news out of the French side of St. Martin, where Belmond La Sammana has just announced that they are reopening on December 10th.  St. Martin was devastated by Hurricane Irma, so the reopening is something we can all celebrate. Lisa and I know La Samanna well, having stayed in one of their whitewashed villas, only a short stroll to the pearly white sands of Baie Longue. After long walks on the mile-long beach, we sunbathed on the roof of our villa and then cooled off in our private plunge pool. It was like being at a resort built for two. The resort’s 83 rooms and public spaces have been given a refresh, awash in a sea of pastel blues, greens, pinks, and peaches, inspired by the natural tones of the Caribbean. Belmond La Samanna will also reopen its beachfront French restaurant, Trellis, and La Cave Wine Cellar, the largest private wine cellar in the Caribbean. 

 

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The Latest Changes at Vermont Ski Slopes for the Upcoming Season

Thursday is the annual Boston Ski Show, when I meet reps from ski areas around New England, Canada, and the Western US. Last week’s news that 14 ski areas including Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts, Loon Mountain and Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire, Okemo Mountain in Vermont, and Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine have been sold to a hedge fund manager in New York will certainly be the hot conversation topic, but there’s a slew of other noteworthy topics at ski resorts around the country that I want to discuss this week. We’ll start with Vermont. 

 
Killington Resort is bringing Alpine World Cup skiing back to the eastern US for the first time in 25 years when the Audi FIS Ski World Cup takes place November 26-27. Giant Slalom and Slalom races will put the best female technical alpine skiers against one another on the infamous New England steep trail, Superstar. Brand new this winter at Stowe Mountain Resort is the opening of an 80-million-dollar Adventure Center. Located at Spruce Peak and adjacent to Stowe’s new outdoor Ice Skating Rink, Stowe’s Adventure Center is home to all Stowe’s children’s programs. The building will includes a day care facility, an indoor climbing center called Stowe Rocks, and family-friendly dining. Over at Burke, The Burke Mountain Hotel and Conference Center opened its doors on September 1st. The 116-room hotel is situated mid-mountain and provides a true ski-in ski-out experience. Suites range from a standard studio to three bedroom with onsite amenities including a pub, restaurant, heated pool and hot tub, fitness center, and arcade.  
 
 
 
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Don’t Hesitate to Stay at Corral del Rey

We loved our penthouse room at Corral del Rey, a boutique property in the old quarter of Seville, where rooms are located inside a former 17th-century estate. We had a large outdoor patio with views overlooking the Gothic Cathedral, plunge pool, bath built for two, fantastic shower, and a heavenly mattress. It’s no surprise it was our favorite hotel of our entire stay in Spain. We took full advantage of the room, polishing off a bottle of Tempranillo with our nephew, Micah, who’s studying in Seville this semester, before strolling over to a hole-in-the-wall tapas joint with outdoor tables, Estrella. The place is popular with flamenco dancers, guitarists, and singers who perform at the nearby Museo del Baile Flamenco, as we would soon find out when seeing an hourlong flamenco show. The guy I just met at the bar was the guitarist for the show, and wow, was he good, along with two soulful singers, and three incredibly talented flamenco dancers. We made the wise move of booking the VIP show, where only two rows of audience view the show in an intimate setting inside a former wine cellar. The performance was so moving that I looked over at Lisa and saw tears rolling down her cheek. 

 
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See You Again in 2020!

It seems like yesterday that I was writing a story for Men’s Journal on the best trips to take over the new millennium. Now it’s 20 years later! This year has been a banner year for ActiveTravels, reaching long-term goals on both sales and membership. It’s a privilege to write about my journeys all these years and to send clients to the countries and states that excite me the most. 2020 marks the 30th year of being in the travel industry and there’s no way I’d still be here without your support, especially post-2008 recession, when publications folded and half my editors found other lines of work. I’ve been blogging ever since and I’m excited to report that next year, this blog will finally be updated as we make important changes to the ActiveTravels website. Thank you for your support and please stay tuned. 

We’re off to the outskirts of Playa del Carmen to get some much-needed R&R with the family. Have a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year! We’ll be returning the week of January 6th with our Top Dream Days of Travel in 2019. 
 
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San Diego Adventure

You can lounge on Pacific Beach, visit the sea lions in La Jolla, and bike Coronado when visiting San Diego. Or you can paraglide, surf, or go on California’s longest zipline. With nearly 100 years of flying history, Torrey Pines Gliderport, located north of La Jolla, is America’s most popular coastal soaring site. Adventure seekers can take a tandem paragliding or hanggliding flight with professional, experienced instructors and enjoy a n exhilarating ride as you soar off dramatic 300-foot cliffs above the Pacific Ocean and San Diego’s scenic coastline. Made famous by the Beach Boys’ hit song "Surfin’ USA," Swami’s Beach in Encinitas is one of San Diego’s prime surf spots, where big waves break off a narrow beach and challenge experienced surfers. For novice surfers, La Jolla Shores is a family friendly strip of beach with a sandy bottom and gentle waves. San Diego is also home to the longest zip line in California. Set in the La Jolla Indian Campground, within the foothills of Palomar Mountain, the La Jolla Zip Zoom provides riders with 6,273 feet of excitement coupled with spectacular views of mountain peaks, and lush green canyons. 
 
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The Debut of the Nantucket Hotel

If you’re fortunate to have spent a night or two at the Winnetu Resort on Martha’s Vineyard, you quickly realize that owners Mark and Gwenn Snider have a passion for entertaining, especially the little ones. The parents of three go overboard to keep kids happy, whether it’s a drive aboard a 1947 fire truck Mark found on EBay or free lemonade and fresh baked cookies every afternoon at 3 pm. Expect the same genuine welcome at their new property, the Nantucket Hotel on the neighboring island of Nantucket. One of the last grand dames still standing on the island, the Nantucket (previously the Point Breeze) was built in 1894 in a sprawling neo-classical style. Smack dab in the heart of Nantucket town, the resort will undergo a major refurbishment, retaining the classic façade while vastly improving the interior, making its debut on June 29, 2012 with 60 guest rooms and suites. 

 
With a high-speed ferry that connects Martha’s Vineyard with Nantucket in a little over an hour, the Sniders have the unique opportunity to offer their guests the first ever two-island resort package. Spend the first part of your vacation at the ultra-sybaritic Winnetu, waking up to morning yoga on the resplendent front lawn, walking to that long stretch of fine white sand at South Beach, swimming in the pool, playing tennis on one of the many courts, and savoring an authentic New England clambake. Then simply shuttle over to The Nantucket to stroll on the cobblestone streets, under gas lamps and gaze at more than 800 buildings that were built before the Civil War. The historic setting is so remarkably preserved that you’ll feel like young Herman Melville himself, doing research on the book that made him famous, “Moby Dick.” 
 

Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch Offers One Night Free in June

One of the few benefits of this forced downtime in the travel world is the chance to take as many webinars as we please to better educate ourselves about destinations and properties. The webinar we took with Schelby Merrill, Director of Leisure Sales, at the Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming was one of the most memorable. Fly to Denver and drive 3 ½ hours through exquisite countryside they call the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and you reach 30,000 acres of prime real estate in southern Wyoming. The property not only offers a quintessential ranch experience, but being a Relais and Chateaux property, also expect the dining to be sublime.

There are 11 cabins, split between 2 and 3 bedrooms, that are ideal for social distancing, replete with full kitchen and living room. You might choose to dine inside your cabin or outside at one of their two restaurants, but don’t expect to use the oven much. Brush Creek offers an all-inclusive experience, including all meals, wines/sprits, horseback riding for all levels, a Wrangler’s Camp for children aged 4-9 including art and crafts and geology, fly-fishing, yoga and meditation, and more than 70 miles of trails to hike or bike. There’s also cooking classes and wine tastings. A typical stay is 5-7 nights and, during the month of June, they’ll give you a night free and throw in cowboy boots. Yee-haw!

The temperature tomorrow is supposed to hit the low 80s in Boston, so I don’t expect to be at my desk. I’m jumping on my bike and going for a long ride. Have a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend and keep active! I’ll be back on Tuesday with detailed information on what our favorite travel suppliers are doing this summer.

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